Techstars Mobility and PlanetM today announced 17 mobility startups as finalists for the PlanetM Startup Pitch Competition powered by Techstars. The pitch competition will be held Jan. 15, 2019, on the PlanetM Stage in the AutoMobili-D exhibit area of NAIAS.

These 17 were selected from 65 mobility startups coming to the 2019 NAIAS. They will be competing in three categories: Mobility Application, Mobility Technology and Mobility Service. Additionally, all exhibiting startups will be qualified to compete for the Startup of the Year award as well.

The announced finalists will be pitching before an impressive roster of judges:

• Alchemy — Kitchener, ON, Canada: We are a nanotechnology startup pioneering two nanocoatings: a passive anti-frost coating and an abrasion-resistant coating. Our coatings enable multi-climate reliability for AVs by providing impact/scratch resistance, frost prevention, deicing to combat snow/freezing rain, and water/dirt shedding.
• Autobon AI — Chicago, IL, United States: Autobon is providing trucking fleets with the first aftermarket autopilot system that enables existing semi-trucks to deliver freight autonomously on U.S. highways. We are deploying the system in a way that builds trust with operators, while increasing job safety and efficiency.
• CARMERA — Brooklyn, NY, United States: CARMERA is building the world’s most robust street intelligence platform, specializing in “living” high-definition maps for autonomous vehicles.
• Derq — Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Derq is an MIT-spinoff and Techstars mobility alum with a mission to eliminate crashes. Our AI-based ITS and V2X software applications predict the behaviors and intentions of road users to warn cars with enough time to avoid crashes. We live in Dubai and Detroit.
• Toposens — Munich, Bavaria, Germany: Toposens developed the world’s first 3D ultrasound sensor, a robust and affordable 3D sensor enabling close-range object detection for autonomous driving cars or mobile robots.
• WaveSense — Somerville, MA, United States: WaveSense is accelerating the arrival of self-driving vehicles by using subterranean maps created with ground penetrating radar. Vehicles with WaveSense can navigate in common but challenging conditions such as snow, rain, fog, poor lane markings, and areas with sparse landmarks.